Home Sweet Home
by Dragon2920
Summary: Mirai was sent to Fairy Tail with a promise that life would be better there (that they would protect her). Instead, she found fire-breathing morons and a million different ways to save the world. She never really did like surprises. [OC-insert]
1. Bad Timing

**Ok, so maybe I'm mildly obsessed with making OC-inserts. Maybe I have a problem. Maybe I've posted three new stories in the span of a little under three weeks. I don't know where I'm going with this.**

 **Anyway, enjoy! I kind of meant to break this into two chapters but ended up cramming it all into one. Partially because I'm lazy, partially because I wanted to speed through this arc considering nothing really special happens. I'm also not starting at the very beginning. Oh no, no, no, we're plunging right into and finishing the Phantom Lord arc in one go. Because I like chaos.**

 **Pretty please review! I have no beta or really anyone to edit my work so whether it's opinions or tips or even just grammar / punctuation mistakes you saw, reviews make me very happy.**

 **Edit (2/2/2020): Ok, so I found a mistake and fixed it. Turns out I used the wrong name for a magic technique she uses, my bad. It's all good now though. While I was at it, I also decided to edit the fight scene with Jose and added to it. It's basically the same though, just a few paragraphs longer so it doesn't exactly affect the story but I figured, hey, might as well while I'm here.**

~{}~{}~{}~{}~{}~

Something wasn't right here.

I frowned at the ravaged building before me before double-checking the map. And triple-checking.

I looked up at the mess then checked one last time.

"Maybe it's an old map...?" I wondered, searching the paper for a date or something.

X784. That was this year. Surely they couldn't have moved that quickly. Besides, Master would've known. She would never give me outdated information.

I grimaced.

Yeah, this wrecked hall had to be the Fairy Tail guild.

Giant metal poles had been shoved through the walls and roof, leaving the place pretty much falling apart both inside and out. It seemed I had pretty bad timing.

"What happened to our guild?!"

I jolted in surprise as a boy's voice pierced the quiet. Glancing over my shoulder, I located the source. A pink-haired boy grit his teeth, tearing up nearby.

My first mistake, we locked eyes and he glared. "Hey you! Are you the one who did this?!"

I blanched. "W-What?"

Too late, his fists burst into fucking flames and I backed off quickly.

Yep, very bad timing.

Thankfully, before he could lunge at me with literal flaming fists, the redhead beside him slammed a fist down on his head, her face grim. "We can't just jump to conclusions, Natsu."

Still, they and their two friends didn't look very happy. I hesitated, pooling together what little courage I had.

"A-Are you members of this guild?" I burst out, clutching the strap of my satchel in a death grip.

"Huh?" The pink-haired boy's flames died down. "Who's asking?"

I fidgeted nervously as I introduced myself. "My, uh, my name's Mirai. I came here to join the Fairy Tail guild."

I sent a confused look at the smashed guild hall. "I only just arrived to find it like this... I think I might've come at a bad time. Do you know what happened?"

I finished with a shy smile in their direction, hoping they didn't notice the nervous tremble in my hands and knees.

Ah, there were only four of them but I really hated attention. Even now, with such a small group, I avoided meeting their gaze.

"Phantom," a different voice answered me instead. I turned to find another girl approaching. She was pretty and somewhat familiar. I've seen her before somewhere...

Right, a magazine cover. She was a model on the cover of a magazine. I don't really read magazines.

"You said you wanted to join Fairy Tail," the model asked me. I stiffened, my spine straightening as I nodded.

"Y-Yes ma'am," I exclaimed, leaning forward in excitement.

"Oh!" The model perked up, placing a hand on her cheek cheerily. "Then please, follow me! I'm terribly sorry about the inconvenience."

"It's fine," I spoke slowly. "You guys seem like you have a lot on your plate right now."

Telling the others to follow her too, she led us past the wreckage and into the basement. I trailed more behind the group than with them as we entered. Luckily, they seemed more interested in finding out what had happened to their guild than in me.

The basement was still pretty much intact and very crowded. I felt myself pale a few shades when I saw how many people they'd crammed down here.

They all looked... oh, they all looked pretty angry. Or sad. Just generally upset. Consensually not-happy...? Not important.

"Yo!" A short old man in a weird hat (is he like the guild's jester...? Do guilds even have jesters?) greeted us. "Welcome home!"

I continued to observe as the group returned the greeting, Pink-Hair spouted something about him drinking at a time like this. My best guess was that this group was on a mission or something when their guild was wrecked and they'd only just returned. As for the other guild members, they may have been upset about their hall but, looking around now, they seemed rather close with each other. Strong bonds between fellow guildmates and all.

This would do for now, I guess.

"You people stole an S-Class quest and went off without permission!" My head snapped back to the old man at his words. They did what now?

"You will be punished! I will dole out your punishment!" The old man declared, raising a hand dramatically. "Prepare yourselves!"

Wait... was this the Guild Master? I floundered in confusion as he hit everyone on the head ( _wait, did he just hit the blonde's butt?_ ) and flinched as Armoured-Redhead and Pink-Hair ( _Natsu_ ) exploded, yelling about their smashed guild. I edged back nervously.

"Oh, just pipe down," the old man grumbled, seeming more bored than bothered. "It's nothing to make a fuss over."

Wow. How chill.

I thought of my own Master and sighed. If only she was more like this... though his fashion choices were a little questionable...

The old man rambled about how attacking an empty guild was essentially pathetic and there was no point in getting upset over weaklings who didn't hurt anyone. Pink-Hair began arguing with him and I happened to lock eyes with the white-haired model from earlier.

Recognising my helpless look, she reached over and tapped the Master to get his attention. "Sorry for the intrusion, Master, but we have a potential new member for Fairy Tail."

The group blinked collectively and turned towards me, as though remembering I was there.

"Forgive my rudeness," Redhead gasped, bowing in apology. "I can't believe I forgot you were there."

"Don't worry about it," I laughed awkwardly and waved it off, "it happens all the time."

It wasn't their fault, really.

"So you want to join Fairy Tail?" The old man questioned, facing me seriously.

I nodded firmly. "I do."

"Why?"

I frowned. "In truth, it's because you were recommended by my Master. Here," I dug into my satchel and pulled out an envelope labelled 'Makarov', "I have a letter from her. She said you two were old friends...?"

I, as well as the group, watched curiously as he took the envelope and tore it open, skimming through the letter inside.

About two seconds in, he paled. About four seconds in, he started shivering. By the ten second mark, he was sweating and casting fearful looks at both me and the letter.

Slowly, the group's heads swivelled to look at me.

"Do you know what's in there?" The black-haired boy questioned, pointing at the paper.

I blanched. "God no! I wouldn't dare read it. She'd murder me if I read something she didn't want me to..."

They squinted at me, even more curious now but I avoided their gazes.

"Ahem!" The old man drew attention back to himself as he stashed the letter away. "Well then, welcome to the guild, little one. I am Makarov, the Guild Master."

I quickly bowed in respect. "N-Nice to meet you! My name is Mirai Rukoe."

"Such a nice girl," he chortled. "Tell me, what kind of magic do you use, Mirai? It wasn't mentioned in the letter. Only that your magic was more or less uncommon and hard to find."

"Well, that's not wrong," I murmured. "I, uh, use Memory Vessel Magic."

His brow furrowed thoughtfully. "I don't believe I've heard of that magic."

I shrugged. "Yeah, it's somewhat rare and fairly old."

"Like a Lost Magic?" Armoured-Redhead wondered.

"No!" I burst out, shaking my head. "God no, not that rare or old or powerful. Just, uh, not as common as most magic. It's a little complex and has some inconvenient backlashes is all."

"And your Master, uh, recommended you take the next S-Class exam here," the Master informed me. "It will likely be a little while before our next exam takes place. Are you ok with this?"

I nodded. "I can find some missions until then. Besides, that gives me time to prove myself to you. You probably don't want to recommend a mage to your S-Class exam without even having seen their strength."

"Very well," he hummed. "Then Mirajane can take care of your guild mark. I need to go to the toilet."

With that, he jumped to the floor and tottered off, handing me over to the white-haired model.

Mirajane smiled as I turned to her. "Do you have a colour in mind?"

~{}~{}~{}~{}~{}~

I have such bad timing, it's not even funny.

An uncomfortable feeling pooled in my gut as I looked up at the three guild members, beaten, bruised and hung up like spectacles.

Levy. Jet. Droy. Those were the names I heard as the Fairy Tail members trembled at the sight, either in sadness or rage.

"This means war!" The Guild Master roared.

I glanced down at the new guild mark, painted in a pleasant sea-green shade over my left collarbone. It would be hidden beneath my hoodie if I hadn't unzipped it after feeling warm earlier.

I was a part of the guild now, I guess. I should probably help them avenge it or whatever, right?

 _Don't draw too much attention._

I hesitated.

Still, I found myself following at the back of the group as we marched to battle with Phantom Lord.

~{}~{}~{}~{}~{}~

I gaped at the massive hole someone had just smashed in the wall of the Phantom Lord guild.

Wow, property destructive was a big thing among guilds, huh?

Pink-Hair ( _Natsu, use his name_ ) charged ahead, wiping out about five guys with a sweep of fist and flame. I lagged behind hesitantly as everyone plunged right into combat. This sort of rowdy, all-out fighting wasn't really my thing.

"Fairy pests!" A man to my right bellowed, charging at me.

Right. Bad guy.

I quickly flipped my satchel open. With a flash of my eyes, a similar light shining from within my bag. The man made it to about two metres away before his eyes rolled up and he crumpled to the floor.

Sighing, I closed my satchel again and drew my chokutō. I didn't like fighting but I should at least be armed when walking through the middle of a guild war.

How did my first day end up like this?

All this magic being thrown around was making me queasy.

Another opponent charged at me and I dealt with him quickly. A few slashes of my sword was more than enough.

"You're quite proficient with that sword." The Redhead from before stopped beside me, appraising my skills in action.

"I, uh, had a pretty good teacher," I told her, cutting down another enemy.

She nodded. "I'm Erza. You're... sorry, what was your name again?"

"Mirai," I supplied readily.

"Right," she blinked. "That's odd, I'm usually quite good at remembering names."

"I just-" I slashed at another one "-have one of those faces. Don't worry about it."

It wasn't the first time and it wouldn't be the last. We were interrupted by a crash. I paused as Master Makarov fell through the rafters, landing with a harsh thud.

"M-Master...?!" Erza stammered, taken aback. I sheathed my sword as she called for a retreat.

"What?! Gajeel!" I jumped as nearby, Natsu turned and yelled at something. Was he alright...?

There was far too many things happening at once right now for my liking.

The two enemies in the rafters vanished with a burst of magic and Natsu muttered to himself, "They've captured Lucy?"

I blinked. As he charged off, yelling about how he was going to save her, I grit my teeth and slipped a hand into my satchel, withdrawing a cloudy white, crystal sphere. It subtly flickered once, twice and I focused in on the nearest mind of an enemy.

"Memory Vessel: Archive," I murmured. The orb flickered a few more times, vague shapes appearing and disappearing in the clouded white.

Satisfied, I turned away from where the other Fairy Tail members were heading and ran after Natsu.

They'd never notice my absence anyway.

~{}~{}~{}~{}~{}~

"Natsu, wait for me!" I puffed, sprinting to try and keep up with the fiery boy.

He whipped around in shock, his cat hovering nearby. "Huh?! Who're you?!"

I was just relieved he stopped. I took a moment to catch my breath before I prompted him. "Mirai. Joined your guild today. See?"

I tugged my hoodie aside to display my new guild mark.

"Oooh, right!" He grinned. "What're you doing here, Miriam?"

"Mirai," I corrected automatically. "I thought you might like some back-up. You know, to save Lucy from her dad or something."

I'd watched some of the memories in my orb along the way, trying to figure out where she was being held. To my surprise, Natsu was heading in the right direction anyway.

"Her dad?" He questioned.

"Yeah, I ju- actually, never mind. We can talk later," I decided. "Save Lucy first, yeah?"

He frowned, evidently feeling like he was missing something before shrugging with a grin. "Sure! Let's go!"

He raced off and I stared in disbelief as he left me behind once again.

~{}~{}~{}~{}~{}~

"Please stop running so much, my legs are gonna fall- oh my god, is she falling from the sky?!"

I panicked as Lucy came into view, about eight storeys up and falling fast.

"Catch her, catch her, catch her, catch her," I ranted as Natsu put on an extra burst of speed and lunged-

I sucked in a huge breath of relief as she landed in his arms and he rolled.

"It's raining Lucys!" His talking flying blue cat exclaimed. ( _Huh. Top ten statements I never thought I'd ever say._ )

"Holy fudge, are you guys ok?" I called, hastily making my way over to them.

She was crying.

I stopped short and backed up a little as she started crying and they exchanged words.

But then a spike of angry magic came from the top floor where Lucy had just come from and I winced. "Ok, sorry to interrupt but time to go."

"Hmm?" Lucy sniffled and glanced tearily at me. "Who're you?"

I suppressed a frustrated groan.

~{}~{}~{}~{}~{}~

We slipped back into the guild easily enough and I found a nice little corner to get to work while everyone reassured Lucy that she could stay.

Placing my orb on the table before me, I brought the images in the clouded white to the surface and skimmed through them. The memories stored in my vessel.

Surely there was something important or at least helpful in h-

Element Four?

I continued scanning through. There wasn't a lot on them considering I'd hastily focused over copying memories related to Lucy but there was a little. Something about a Jupi-

 _What was that?_

I stiffened as I sensed a huge magical presence approaching. It felt... big and mechanical.

"D-Danger!" I yelped, catching the others' attention as I leapt up, barely remembering to grab my orb as I ran outside.

Yep, that's a building and it's walking towards us. And that's a lot of magical energy that it's condensing.

"This is bad!" Erza yelled. ( _was she wearing a towel? No, not important_ ) "Everyone, get down!"

She launched forward, requiping on a huge armour. She seemed very strong, I thought as I unsheathed my sword and surveyed the magical power building.

 _I can help but do I want to?_

The cannon exploded, a beam of energy racing straight for us and Erza stayed steady, facing it head on.

I darted forward and raised my sword, bracing my hand against the flat of one side and letting the beam make contact with the other side.

"Mirai!" Erza roared and somewhere in the back of my head, I idly thought, ' _huh, she remembered my name. She must've worked hard to do that, that's a nice thought._ '

I grunted and dug my heels in against the pressure. The force of it threw my hood back and my long, turquoise hair flew out behind me but I paid it no mind.

Finally, my arms gave way and I jumped back, flipping clear over Erza's head and letting her take the brunt of the last of it. She threw her arms up and took it like a champ.

Parts of her armour began to crack and break away but by the time the light faded, she was still standing, albeit her armour was fairly wrecked.

I breathed out in relief, digging the tip of my sword into the ground to use it as a stand to lean on.

That was stressful.

Erza panted and fell to one knee. She still looked pretty beat but probably better than if she'd taken the full blast head-on.

"Erza! Hang in there," Natsu and that black-haired guy from earlier charged past me to check on her but she waved them off, facing me.

"Your sword..." she breathed. "It didn't even break."

I blinked and looked down at the blade. It was still as strong as ever, though the edge was a bit dulled. "Oh, yeah. Um, sorry. If I'd been a bit stronger, I might've been able to help more."

"Didn't you just join today?" She checked. "You've done plenty, thank you."

I smiled. "Well, I am aiming for the S-Class exams. This is the perfect opportunity to show my stuff."

"Makarov and Erza are out of action," a voice echoed from the giant cannon. "You have no final ace to play. I want Lucy Heartfilia handed over and I want her now!"

I glanced around as everyone immediately started protesting. It became evident they were not going to comply.

Lucy was crying again.

Eventually, the voice exploded. "If that's what you want, then you're going to get a heaping serve of Jupiter! I will allow you the fifteen minutes it takes to power up to wallow in your fear!"

Fifteen minutes, huh?

Then soldiers began streaming from the six-legged building and I frowned. They... weren't human. Constructed of magic, actually. I guess he didn't want to waste the lives of his own guild members.

Natsu immediately took off towards the cannon. Yeah, I think I was starting to figure out what kind of person and fighter he was.

Still, he seemed capable enough, I'll let him handle it. I sheathed my sword and dug out my orb once again. The rest of the guild members rushed around me, quickly forgetting I was there as I plopped down on the ground and ran through the memories one last time, this time focusing for anything about their weapons.

Ok, so if Jupiter fails and we don't hand over Lucy, there's something called a Super-Magic Giant: Phantom MKll. And that's run by the Phantom Lord Element Four. Ok. What's that?

I scanned for the Element Four, the images in the orb flashing by faster this time. Oh, well it makes it easier that they were the ones who kidnapped Lucy, more information to go on. Four of their strongest mages... each specialising in a different element, name makes more sense now...

Well, the guy I pulled these memories from doesn't really know how the Phantom MKII works, just that it's powered by these four mages. Good enough. We just need to beat them then.

An explosion broke me out of my thoughts and I grinned. Natsu shattered the cannon. Great, now that that's out of the way.

I focused in on two figures breaking away from the crowd. It was a huge, buff guy and the black-haired guy from earlier. Geez, I really need to start learning names.

Casting another glance around the area, I stood and sprinted after them.

~{}~{}~{}~{}~{}~

"This is bad, guys! The guild's turned into a giant and is casting some huge incantation!"

"You're a big, fat liar!"

"Who'd lie about that?!"

I groaned as I hoisted myself into the cannon room. "No, he's right."

Holy fudge, this thing is huge. Man, I really need to start training up my stamina again.

"Who're you?!" Natsu yelled, pointing ( _rather rudely, if I might add_ ) at me.

"Mirai," I reminded, brushing the dust and dirt off. "Joined the guild today. Really regretting it. But I did."

Natsu blinked and I imagined a lightbulb flashing above his head. "Oh, right."

"What're you doing here?" The black-haired boy exclaimed.

"I'm helping," I announced. "I know how to stop this thing."

"How manly!" The buff guy exclaimed. I sent him an odd look. "But it's far too dangerous."

I scowled. "This sword isn't for show and you literally just saw me help block that giant cannon blast. I can handle it."

He blinked and I knew he'd forgotten. My shoulders drooped. This was really annoying.

"We're wasting time," the black-haired guy interrupted. "Just tell us how to beat it."

"Just defeat the Element Four," I explained. "This machines powered by them. They should each specialise in a certain elemental magic, like earth, air, fire or water."

"Oh, I beat a fire-dude just before," Natsu crowed, pointing at the... giant hole in the wall? _Did they throw him out...?_

"Great. So earth, air and water should be left," I concluded, moving on from the many questions I kept thinking of.

"We'll split up then," the black-haired guy decided. "If you find one, beat 'em."

I frowned. "Wait, you don't want to make a plan or any- yeah, they're gone."

I slumped. These Fairy Tail mages... I swear...

Well, buff guy seemed strong and Natsu took out that cannon so he's pretty capable ( _plus I really don't feel like reminding him about who I am every thirty seconds_ ) ... I shrugged and headed after the black-haired guy. Maybe I'd finally learn his name after this.

~{}~{}~{}~{}~{}~

"So, why're you following me again?" He asked as I strolled alongside him. Well, he was running and I was keeping pace, so quickly strolled.

"Natsu seems capable and the buff guy-"

"Elfman," he corrected.

"-seemed weird so process of elimination really," I murmured. "What's your name anyway?"

He looked at me for a moment. "Gray. You're Mirai, right?"

I faltered for a second. "Huh. You remembered. I'm impressed."

"Do people usually forget?" He questioned.

"Yeah, it's an unfortunate drawback of my magic," I said.

"What does your magic do? Actually, how did you know how to beat this thing before?" Gray inquired with a curious frown.

I paused, trying to think of how to best explain it. "My, uh, my magic allows me to... extract? Yeah, extract memories from other people and view them through my vessel. I took the liberty of taking a bunch of memories from one of the Phantom Lord members during that fight before."

"Huh, cool," he huffed. Then he stopped and looked ahead. "Dead end."

I frowned. "Yeah. Should we head back, find another path?"

He looked up. "I'm gonna climb up there."

I stared at him. Then at the hole in the roof dripping water through (was it raining?) and back at him.

"Great. Sure. Ok," I nodded. "Go ahead. I'll catch up, I guess."

I really didn't want to climb up there.

He went ahead and scaled up the wall like a goddamn monkey and I scowled. Why was I joining Fairy Tail again? Right, yeah, Master recommended it. Really, that should've been the first sign.

I chastised myself for getting into this mess as I climbed the wall after him, reaching the hole and wincing as cold droplets of water spattered against my face. Yep, it was raining. Even better.

"I see. Very well. I accept defeat," a soft, feminine voice reached my ears as I pulled myself through and just barely stopped myself from automatically flopping on the soaked ground.

"Did you do it?" I grinned. "Did we win? Can we go back inside now?"

"Wait a minute!" Gray yelled, leaping after the girl with the umbrella. "I have to stop the giant!"

Damn. We didn't win yet.

The woman whipped around, throwing a hand out. "Water Lock!"

I gaped as Gray was swept into a large bubble of water and the girl proceeded to... panic? What?

The water froze solid and he shattered it with a yell. I yelped and dodged the ice pieces that went flying. He's bleeding though... and stripping. Ok then. I placed a hand on my sword.

"Ice Make Lance," he shouted. The girl didn't even dodge as the spears of ice went straight through her. I tensed.

"Juvia's body is made of water," the girl stated. "Steady and gentle..."

I let my hand drop from my sword hilt. Ok, a sword won't work then. Instead, I pulled my orb from my bag. Her mind seemed to be in some sort of turmoil but she hadn't noticed me yet, the perks of being able to go unnoticed and forgotten. I just needed good timing.

"Farewell tiny flower bud of love," she cried. "Water Slicer!"

 _Wait, what did she just say...?_

I glanced between her and Gray and understanding dawned. Oh, well, ok then. Gray still seemed oblivious and just super confused.

Yeah, I should have just gone with Elfman.

Oh, I missed something. Juvia was crying and now she's literally boiling. Even the rain turned hot and I scrambled for her forgotten umbrella behind her.

Shit, ow, shit.

Luckily, the steam coming off her provided a great cover for me to sneak her umbrella away.

I followed her form as she raced around, crashing into Gray and through the ground. Her mind was still turbulent with all the anger but it was more focused now, less conflicted so I could probably make it work. Well, now or never.

"Memory Vessel: Oblivion," I called, focusing in on her as she charged once more at Gray. My orb flickered.

Quickly enough, her body cooled and returned to normal as her eyes rolled upwards and she collapsed on Gray's legs, back to her physical form. Even the rain started to clear up.

"What the hell?" He grunted, rolling her off of him as I edged over.

"Sorry, I had to wait for her mind to clear up a bit," I said, helping him up. "I just temporarily sent her mind into shock by instantaneously removing all of her memories. I've already put them back so she won't stay down forever but it'll be long enough."

"Right," Gray eyed me oddly but accepted it.

"Gray!" I jumped in surprise as Elfman and Mirajane appeared, rushing towards us. "Mirai!"

 _Oh hey, when did she get here?_

"Was she the third member of the Element Four?" Elfman asked, looking down at Juvia's unconscious form.

"Yeah," I smiled. "Judging by the state of you two, I'm guessing there's only one left."

I let my senses spread out and narrowed in on the three clusters of magic below us, deeper into the giant.

"Don't worry," I said. "Erza's on her way."

~{}~{}~{}~{}~{}~

"Attention everyone from Fairy Tail. We have captured Lucy."

We stopped dead in our tracks. I grit my teeth as the poor girl's cry echoed through the speakers. Mirajane squeezed her eyes shut.

"Did you hear that? That means we have only one goal left. The goal of killing you, all you upstart brats!"

The speaker cut and I looked around at the others.

"Come on," I muttered. "Let's keep going."

We found Erza soon enough, taking a moment to rest in the next room.

I lagged behind as the others rushed to her. She wasn't too wounded but she did defeat the fourth Element Four member.

I gasped at the sudden surge of dark magic approaching and shifted between my new fellow guild members and the threat. Even they felt chills as it entered the room.

"Ah yes, well done, my lovelies!" The sound of slow clapping filled the room and I drew my sword as the Phantom Lord Master held out his arms. "Honestly, I never thought you would give me this much fun! Now I must do something to thank you for the enjoyment you've given me."

Magic swirled around his hands.

"Dodge it!" Erza screamed.

Not in time, Gray and Elfman let out pained shouts as they were struck. I barely managed to block the magic thrown my way with a solid slash of my sword. I was knocked back a bit by the following swipe as he shattered the very floor and sent the boys flying.

Recovering quickly, I leapt forward at the same time as Erza. We both swung our swords at him from either side and he dodged, grabbing Erza's leg and throwing her into me.

I cried out in surprise as we both hit the floor hard, her armour digging uncomfortably into my ribs and rock breaking against my back as we crashed through a wall.

I twisted and landed on my feet. Ow.

Quickly, I checked my satchel and was relieved to note that my orb was intact. I slowly slid it off and tucked it behind a small rock pile near Elfman, hoping that would help shield it a bit while I fought.

"Weren't you two the ones who blocked Jupiter?" Jose grinned. "I'm impressed you're both still capable of fighting. So strong, courageous and beautiful. Such a shame I'm going to kill you."

Creep. An explosion boomed nearby and I recognised Natsu's unique fire magic.

I tuned out Jose's words as I felt for the others' magic. Natsu must've found Lucy or run into an opponent. There was another magical signature with him, different to his but still a bit similar in a way.

I probably shouldn't have gotten distracted.

Jose sent another strike of magic at us and I took the hit, throwing my sword out in front of Erza to block most of what was directed her way.

"Urgh," I stumbled back, slamming into the wall behind me and shaking my head at the pain. I hadn't taken much damage as opposed to Erza so it was probably better that I took that blow instead. Still hurt though.

"Have you figured out why I left Makarov alive?" Jose chuckled.

"Yeah, to cause him pain," I shrugged, climbing to my feet. I grimaced a bit at the ache but I couldn't take the S-Class exam if this was all I could manage.

Jose paused in surprise at my answer.

"I mean, it's a pretty cliche villain motive for leaving anyone alive," I grouched, readying my sword.

He kept speaking as Erza and I rushed him, slashing over and over with our swords. His words were petty and insignificant so I ignored them entirely.

Finally, he raised his hand and wrapped his foul magic around us, pinning my arms to my torso. I felt my fingers spasm at the sudden pressure and just barely managed to hold onto my sword.

Rule four of Master's training; never drop your weapon unless it's on purpose.

I choked down the queasy feeling I was getting from his disgustingly horrid magic and instead surveyed the bindings. They were made of pure magic though, meaning if I could just get my blade in the right position...

Erza and I locked gazes for a second and I subtly nodded to my sword. Her eyes flickered to it and then slid back to Jose.

"Your obsession with who is superior and inferior is pitiful in itself. But there are no words to describe... your failure of intelligence gathering," she remarked.

I slowly fixed my grip on my sword and observed the magic holding me as she talked. It would be difficult to manoeuvre... ah, screw it.

"As Jose revealed his plans to bleed the Heartfilia empire dry, I readied myself. Finally, Erza managed to properly distract him.

"You dirty- aaahhh!" He struck her with magic and I felt the hold on me loosen. Swinging my sword upwards, I sliced right through the bindings, wincing as I put a little too much strength behind it and the awkward angle caused the metal to cut into my shoulder too. Still, I was effectively freed.

As soon as my feet touched the ground, I sprang into action, dashing behind him as he realised I'd broken out and bringing my chokutō down across his back.

"Arggh!" He yelled, haphazardly throwing a blast of magic behind him. I sucked in a breath but didn't block fast enough. I crashed back into another wall.

I groaned.

He really needed to stop doing that...

Erza dropped to the ground too as Jose's magic cancelled. I pushed myself upright and drooped a bit 'cause I don't think that arm is broken but it sure feels like it.

There was a moment where everyone was stilled.

Jose had seen my chokutō slice directly through his magic and seemed a bit more cautious now even as he leered in my direction. Erza appeared to be analysing the situation too, possibly planning another angle of attack.

I stifled a yawn. Seriously, I'd only just joined this guild after travelling for ages and I was tired. I considered trying my memory magic but it was pretty clear after his little outburst that his mind was way too chaotic right now. After all, he was running out of options and he knew it. Besides, my magic only worked on those equal to or weaker than myself and he was actually fairly strong.

I sighed. _I just wanna go to sleep_.

Thankfully, I picked up on a familiar magical presence fast approaching us and gave a weary smile.

The moment of quiet ended as quickly as it began when Jose leapt into action, sending a huge sweep of magic in my direction. He then turned to immediately block and counter Erza's attack as she took advantage of his turned back. I leapt back and my chokutō sliced through the thick of the blast, the magic blasting holes in the walls behind me.

Erza and I attacked simultaneously, trying to sandwich him again with our blades and he darted beneath my blade, sending a smaller blast directly into my gut. I twisted at the last minute, blocking most of it and skidding backwards at the impact.

By the time I recovered, Erza had landed a small slash on his right side and he'd hit her with a magic burst strong enough to chip some of her armour and knock her back as well.

Yeah, this was going nowhere real fast.

Thankfully, the fighting stalled a few moments later as a familiar voice broke through the dust cloud and my new guild master finally arrived to exchange angry words with our opponent.

He looked pissed.

Actually, they both look pissed.

Erza's relief at the new arrival was painfully obvious and I took the opportunity to fall back and catch my breath, sheathing my blade as I collapsed against some rubble beside the other slowly waking members of our guild.

"Everyone, clear this entire area!" Makarov commanded, looking pretty lethal for an old man. _Don't have to ask me twice..._

Using the rubble ( _it was a piece of the roof, I do believe_ ) to prop myself up, I slowly got to my feet. Everything ached after that little ordeal.

"Master...?!"

"How'd you get here?!"

"Do as you're told!" Eek. Scary. I'd probably just be in his way anyway so I snatched my satchel up from where I'd left it and sprinted off with the others, doing my best to ignore the crashes behind us.

~{}~{}~{}~{}~{}~

So apparently the old man had some sort of great, legendary magic under his belt. The fighting was over quickly enough after that.

But the guild hall was completely destroyed.

I kind of expected Lucy's crying by now. I was surprised though, when the Master burst into tears too.

Of course, I quickly found out why when the Rune Knights showed and questioned everyone.

"I've already been questioned," I wailed, being dragged away for the third time in an hour.

"It's true," Makarov intervened, looking fairly amused.

The Rune Knight stopped and checked the list in his hands. "Oh, you have been ticked off... my apologies, miss, I don't know how I forgot."

"Don't worry about it," I sighed, weeping internally.

My new Guild Master stopped by me. "That really is an interesting side effect of your magic."

"Inconvenient is what it is," I sighed.

"Well, it seems that some of the guild members are starting to remember you," he mused. "Erza spoke very highly of your help against Phantom Lord. I must thank you for fighting with my children even though you'd only just met them."

I glanced down at him blankly. "It was certainly an interesting first day but they seem like good people."

"They are," Makarov agreed. "So are you going to stick after the S-Class exam?"

I hesitated. "I like it here."

He looked at me, almost knowingly, but said nothing about how I'd basically dodged the question. I felt like I owed him more.

"We'll see," I offered because there was a significantly better chance now than there had been before and left it at that.

~{}~{}~{}~{}~{}~

 **And boom, my third story in under three weeks. (My writing is so dodgy but there's only so many times you can edit by yourself before it starts getting repetitive). Anyway, again, pretty please review! Tell me what you think, I need feedback...**

 **Until next time,**

 **\- Dragon**


	2. Welcoming the Chaos

**Phew, I managed another chapter! Man, I think life tried to sabotage me writing this story. As soon as I posted the first chapter, just instantly, bam! Life hits me right in the face. Anyway, it is here, I have finished another one. It's not the most exciting chapter but we do start to learn stuff about Mirai so here goes nothing. Oh, but first, a review, yayyyy!**

 **JuggernautJJ - Me too, mate. Me too. Yeah, the first chapter probably wasn't the best in terms of originality but I think I was more focused on trying to introduce Mirai and her way of thinking than introducing the changes she'll be making. Don't worry, I have a lot planned for Mirai, and while sometimes she will just have to be added into fights and conversations (it's just inevitable at times for an OC-insert like this), I'll seriously try to avoid it as much as possible. Thanks for reviewing, I hope you enjoy it from now on!**

 **Now, on with the story!**

~{}~{}~{}~{}~{}~

I didn't end up helping much with rebuilding the guild. My skill set wasn't exactly built for construction work and, while I tried to help out where I could, the fact that everyone kept forgetting I was there or even who I was certainly didn't make things easier.

In the end, I gave up and filled my spare time with training. It'd only been a few days but I'd already been abruptly reminded that I'd neglected my training during my travelling. Evidently, that wouldn't do and priority numero uno.

As for my guild members, I was having a poor time trying to get them to remember me. Few people remembered my name, namely Makarov, Mirajane and Erza, but hey, it was more than I expected so I took what I could get.

Finally, Mirajane announced that Fairy Tail was taking jobs again and I smiled at the enthusiasm in response, drifting over to the bar while everyone crowded around the notice board.

It wasn't long until something went wrong though.

"Just you try to say that one more time!" Erza shouted, throwing a table across the room. I rose an eyebrow in interest as the table crashed into Natsu.

The redhead was facing off against a blonde guy I hadn't seen before. He had spiked headphones, a leering expression and just an overall not-friendly appearance. I didn't know body language could scream 'smug aggression' so loudly but Fairy Tail was teaching me a lot.

"Let me spell it out so you really understand! This guild has no need of weaklings!" He sneered. "Those wimps from Phantom were able to show us up! I can hardly show my face anymore out of shame!"

 _Wow, a tad melodramatic._

"Who's he?" I turned to the nearest person, Mirajane, and jabbed a thumb in his direction. Mirajane frowned, seeming troubled.

"That's Laxus," she answered. "He's one of our S-class wizards and the master's grandson."

I looked back at the blonde, turning on his own guild members, and I didn't see the resemblance. Master's grandson? All I see is an overgrown, arrogant brat. Still, I wasn't here to fight so I looked away, ready to ignore the noise and get on with my day.

I wasn't fast enough. Our eyes met and he gave a ridiculing smirk as I quickly glanced down at my hands. "Who're you looking at?"

I said nothing as he moved closer.

"Hey... you're that newbie the old man took in, right? I heard you're gunning for the S-class exams," he chortled. "Hah, like a pipsqueak like you could be S-class! I bet I could pound you into the ground and not break a sweat."

I blinked slowly and opened my mouth to reply. _No, Mirai, you're supposed to be avoiding the fighting, not starting it, don't let your-_

"Why are you dressed like a pimp?"

- _anger get in the way of your brain. Good going. Why don't you just go into the mountains and poke a few Vulcans for fun while you're at it? You'd at least stand a much better chance in that fight._

 _Stupid._

There was a brief moment of pure regret since I had _not meant to say that_ and a vein popped on his forehead as he leaned towards me threateningly.

Thankfully, Mirajane intervened and then Natsu flew at him and I took the chance to sink into the background because _holy shit, why would you say that, Mirai? Are you trying to die?!_

"Are you ok, Mirai?" Mirajane peered over the counter to find me huddled beneath it. "Did Laxus scare you?"

I puffed my cheeks out and climbed to my feet. "No..."

"That's good," she beamed. I admired her ability to bounce back after that mess. "Please don't let your opinion of our guild be influenced by Laxus. Really, he's not the best example of a true Fairy Tail wizard."

"Of course not." I returned the smile easily. "Most people I've met are far more polite than that guy."

"Well, on a separate note, are you going to take a job now that you can?" she inquired curiously. "I always recommend that new members first try taking jobs with other teams but you seemed to hold your own in the fight against Phantom Lord. It might help you get to know some of your guildmates though."

"I think I'd prefer solo jobs for now but I'll keep the suggestion in mind," I responded, draping my torso across the counter lazily. "I should probably go pick a job then, huh?"

"You'd best hurry," Mirajane hummed. "The jobs'll probably all be taken quickly since no one's been able to take one for a little while now. Everyone seems excited at the idea of getting decent pay again."

I glanced over at the notice board, realising she was right. The crowd had cleared by now and there were significantly less jobs up now.

"Damn," I said, hopping off the stool and drifting over to see the few sheets left. I reluctantly skimmed through what was left.

 _Uh, something about acting... bug extermination, ew... haunted apartment is definitely not in my area of expertise... finding a lost cat, maybe? Nah, I only just got here, I'd probably get more lost than the cat at this point._

I sighed drearily. Nope. All the good ones were gone.

 _What am I going to do...?_

I hesitated.

"Say, Mirajane, could you maybe use a hand with the bar?" I checked desperately. "At least until there are some better jobs?"

Mirajane paused thoughtfully and smiled. "Well, I could ask the Master I suppose. It never hurts to have a helping hand around here. It can get a bit crazy from time to time."

"You're a goddess!" I teared up as I beamed brightly at my saviour. She giggled and wandered off to find the Master.

~{}~{}~{}~{}~{}~

Makarov didn't mind me working at the bar for a little while. Especially since I'd really only just gotten here. Working in the guild rather than running off on jobs and having to travel all the time gave me the chance to get my feet beneath me and get used to the guild lifestyle.

It also helped me learn everyone's name and helped everyone start to remember me more.

Of course, some oddities occur working in a place like the Fairy Tail guild.

Oddities like this one.

I hesitantly tapped the shoulder of a certain blue-haired stalker as she peered around a corner at a certain black-haired shirtless ice mage.

"Uh, you're Juvia, right?" I spoke up to get her attention.

She squeaked and leapt back, her face flushing red in embarrassment. "Juvia wasn't stalking him, Juvia was just... admiring the view!"

I quirked an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I have no doubt you were," I said dryly, shooting a meaningful look in Gray's direction. "Have you talked to him yet?"

"To Gray-sama?!" She gasped, seemingly scandalised at the thought. "Oh, Juvia couldn't do that. Juvia is happy just watching from afar."

"Hmm, alright," I hummed, shrugging nonchalantly. "Not really my business anyway, just thought I'd suggest it. You've been sneaking around here for a few days now after all."

"Juvia is grateful for your concern!" She exclaimed.

I nodded slowly. "Right, well, let me know if you want a drink or something," I replied, already starting to drift back towards the bar. Her next words made me pause though.

"You... You don't think Juvia is creepy? Or evil?" She asked, fidgeting nervously with her hands.

"Well, yeah, the stalking is a bit on the creepy side," I answered honestly. She drooped in response. "But I also think it's adorable. You know, young love and all that. I'm a bit of a romantic at heart."

"Really?" Juvia gasped. She latched onto my arm. "And you're not Juvia's love rival right?!"

I frowned, a little uncomfortable with the sudden proximity and all. "For Gray? Uh, solid no. I mean, it's nice and all that he's managed to remember my name but I really don't know him. He's all yours."

"Then will you be Juvia's friend and help her claim Gray-sama's eternal love?!"

I was kind of regretting coming over here at this point and probably should've just stuck to serving drinks and such. "I'll, uh, try my best?"

She squealed and threw her arms around my waist. I lifted my own in discomfort as she squeezed in excitement. "Juvia's first female friend!"

 _Well damn, if that didn't tug your heartstrings._

"Yeah, yeah," I mumbled, patting the top of her head awkwardly. Eventually I had to pry her arms off me and return to work but it was a nice hug. I hadn't had a hug in a while, after all.

~{}~{}~{}~{}~{}~

"Is Loke here?" I blinked as a girl wearing very little clothing slammed a manicured hand on the bar counter. I paled at the sight of at least six other girls behind her, looking like they had the same question.

"I don't know," I stated bluntly, hoping that would be the end of it. If only. They were more persistent than I'd have liked.

"Last night he suddenly hits me with a break-up speech!"

"Me too!"

"He even did it with me!"

"Why would he suddenly say something like that?!"

I gulped. "Ah, well, let's be calm about this..."

 _Where the hell is Mirajane when you need her?!_

"It couldn't be that he's found somebody else, could it?!"

"Who is it?! Is it someone in this guild?!"

I frantically looked around for some back-up, the sudden aggressive attention causing some severe panic, and zeroed in on Lucy, a few stools down. Our eyes met and she froze.

"A little help please," I hissed.

"Don't involve me!" Lucy cried as the women turned on her.

 _Oops._

I watched blankly as the blonde took a run for it and the horde of girls charged after her. _That... was probably my fault, huh..._

 _Well, no helping her now, she made a noble sacrifice._ I silently sent her my best wishes and returned to cleaning the counter.

 _Hell hath no fury, I guess. But good for Loke, getting his life together._

~{}~{}~{}~{}~{}~

"I don't think I've seen you around here before," the tiny, blue-haired girl spoke up from across the bar.

"I think you have," I responded idly, scrubbing at a particularly stubborn smudge on the glass in my hands.

This was the third time I'd 'met' her.

Levy was one of the more tolerable people I'd met so far in this guild and it was rather frustrating that she always had trouble remembering me. The two boys I always saw her with were across the guild, talking with some other members. Whether she wanted to talk to me or whether she just wanted a quick break from her somewhat overbearing teammates, I had no clue but I didn't particularly care either.

"Oh, right," Levy blinked. "Um, M... M... Mina, right?"

"Mirai," I corrected, setting the now sparkling glass down and reaching for another.

"Right, Mirai. Sorry," Levy blushed awkwardly.

I finally looked up at her, my amusement evident. "It's ok. Happens all the time."

Levy watched me work for a few moments longer before speaking aloud. "Do you ever get annoyed about that?"

I shot her a curious glance and she plowed onwards. "I mean, I didn't even remember that we'd met until you reminded me. Doesn't that get irritating?"

I looked down thoughtfully, staring at the damp glass to hide my surprise. "Well, yeah, it used to make me really angry. But I'm kind of used to it by now, more resigned than irritated. Besides, no one really forgets, you just need some prompting. It's just... inconvenient."

"Hmm," Levy nodded slowly, an unreadable expression on her face. Suddenly she beamed at me. "I guess we'll just have to be friends then!"

Caught off guard, I jolted and fumbled with the glass for a moment. Setting it down carefully, I stared incredulously at the girl. "Huh?"

 _Where did_ that _come from?_

"I'd never forget a friend," Levy exclaimed, leaning forward across the bar in her excitement, "so we should be friends. I'll remember you, I promise!"

"You don't need to go that far," I spluttered, my cheeks warming up in embarrassment.

"Don't worry about it," she insisted cheerily, holding her hand out. "I'm Levy, nice to meet you."

I studied her outstretched hand cautiously, unsure of what exactly was happening right now but it was probably the cute, hopeful grin on her face that got me in the end. Sighing, I tossed my rag to the side and shook her hand. "Mirai. Please take care of me in the future."

Much to my surprise (and delight), Levy never really forgot my name after that.

~{}~{}~{}~{}~{}~

"You're a celestial spirit?!" I paused at the sound of Natsu's voice as I passed by. I looked over to find him flitting around Loke suspiciously.

"He's a what?" I wondered aloud, before I gathered enough common sense to stop myself.

"A celestial spirit," Gray supplied, without a single glance in my direction. "I never even guessed."

"What's a celestial spirit?" I questioned curiously. _Sounds cool._

"You've never heard of celestial spirits?" Lucy asked in surprise. I shook my head. She paused for a second at the sight of me before continuing and I raised an eyebrow. _Yeah, she's totally forgotten who I am._ "They're magical beings from their own separate universe, the Celestial Spirit World. Celestial Spirit Mages, like me, are able to summon Spirits by opening their Gates via the use of Celestial Spirit Gate Keys."

She held up her own keys to illustrate. I'd been wondering what kind of magic she used. I'd never seen this kind before.

"Wow, that's pretty cool," I drifted over to examine the keys. They were quite pretty. "And the flirt's one of these spirits?"

"Uh, his name's Loke but yeah," Lucy confirmed awkwardly.

Loke was one of the people I hadn't really talked to at all while I worked. In truth, he was far too busy flirting with other females or avoiding Lucy to actually notice me, but that was also partially due to the backlash of my magic. Besides I never made any attempt to meet him myself, mostly because, well...

"I don't believe we've been introduced," Loke cooed, taking my hand in his and delicately holding my chin in his other. I think he was sparkling too but that might've just been me. "I'm Loke. It must be a crime that I haven't met such a beautiful young lady such as yourself."

 _Yeah, that would happen._

He sweatdropped at the utterly unimpressed look I sent him in response.

"That's Mirai," Natsu grinned, resting his hands behind his head. "You've probably already met her and just forgot 'cause of her weird magic."

I could practically see a lightbulb light up above Lucy's head as it finally clicked who I was. I sighed. _Of all the people I expected to remember me, Natsu wasn't even top ten. That's surprising._

"That's an odd kind of magic," Loke commented curiously. I realised he was still holding my hand and blushed a little, tugging it out of his grasp.

"The word you're looking for is inconvenient," I acknowledged before turning the topic back to him. "So you're not human...?"

I blinked. _Wait, was that mob of girls from before... not him pulling his life together then?_

Then I remembered, _I don't care_. Covering up a yawn, I started to wander off as they discussed how he looked the same, trying to remember what exactly I'd been doing before. I'd totally forgotten during this little detour.

"Wait just a minute! You too Mirai!" I glanced over my shoulder idly as he presented Lucy with multiple slips of paper.

"I can't spend long amounts of time in the human world anymore..." he explained when Lucy asked what they were. "There are tickets to a resort hotel I intended to go to with my girlfriends but now, since I feel that I owe you people, they're yours."

I perked up and shuffled back towards them, taking a ticket of my own with a appreciative look. _Huh, maybe he wasn't that bad after all. I mean, I gotta wonder how many girlfriends he has though..._

Natsu and Gray sparkled at the expensive side of the tickets while Lucy and I exchanged happy looks.

"I don't think I've ever had a vacation," I realised.

Lucy gaped at me. "Never?!"

I shook my head. I mean, I'd travelled a bunch, but none of it was for enjoyment or anything.

"I've already given a ticket to Erza, so have fun, everybody!" Loke called just as he disappeared.

"So what are you all standing there for?" Erza said, strolling past in a floaty ring and dragging a huge pile of stuff on a wagon behind her.

"That was way too fast!" Gray and Lucy yelled.

"Also, I really don't think you need stuff like that on a vacation... is that a shovel?" I squinted at her 'luggage' suspiciously. _Yep, that was a shovel and there was a statue in there too..._

 _Ah, I need to buy a bathing suit._

~{}~{}~{}~{}~{}~

First things first, I let Master know about the vacation. Apparently Erza had already told him but I wanted to check that he knew that I was going too.

Then, leaving Master weeping over the idea that the most destructive team in Fairy Tail was going on a vacation in an expensive resort ( _he should really retire soon, all this stress isn't great for a man his age_ ), I went shopping for anything I might need.

I didn't really expect to run into anyone in the swimsuit store but about fifteen minutes in, a familiar brunette ducked through the doors with a cheerful wave and a giant barrel over her shoulder.

"Cana?" I blinked. Cana was also one of the few people who remembered me now, simply because I worked at the bar and she drank there all day long unless out on a mission.

"Mirai!" She called, heading straight for me. _Yep, she's borderline drunk. As usual._

"Is that all booze?" I gaped at the giant barrel she placed on the ground as soon as she reached me. "Do you even have a liver anymore or has it just dissolved in all that alcohol?"

She dismissed my remark with a snicker, throwing an arm around my shoulder casually. "What're ya doing her'?"

"Uhhh," I shot an obvious glance around the _swimsuit store_ and then back at her.

She did the same and chuckled. "Right. Bikinis."

 _Oh, Cana._

"I'll * _hic_ * help!" She cheered, letting go of me to plunge through the racks of bathers.

"You really don't need to-"

"How about this one?!"

I despaired as she proceeded to hold up the skimpiest bikini, that was really more of a fun string pattern than a bikini.

"Uh..." I slowly reached out, plucked it from her hands like it was a dirty rag and placed it back on the nearest rack. "Well, how about we make that Plan Z and keep looking."

"Ah, no fun."

~{}~{}~{}~{}~{}~

I did finally find something suitable to wear though, with Cana's influence, it was a bikini instead of the one-piece I'd originally planned to . But it wasn't some outrageous pattern and it covered everything that I needed covered so it was good enough for me. Cana sobered up a bit by the end of it and sent me off with a grin and a loud "have fun!"

"Eh? Is that all you're bringing?" Lucy exclaimed as I rocked up at the train station with a half-full tote bag.

I frowned. "Beach stuff is expensive. I don't want to blow all my money at once."

"You should've told me," Lucy protested, smiling as she looped her arms through mine. "I could've seen if there was anything I could lend you. We're the only girls here, you know, we should stick together."

"Erza's a girl," I pointed out.

We both looked off to our right where the redhead sat on a bench nearby, her humongous pile of junk and unnecessary shit beside her. Someone asked if she could move her stuff so they could get to the seat and she then effortlessly lifted the wagon with the giant pile ( _that's like, what, a couple dozen kilograms_ ) with one arm and set it off to the side without breaking a sweat, the innocent bystanders all stopping to openly stare at the spectacle.

"Yeah, right," Lucy sweatdropped.

"She's not human though," I added dryly.

~{}~{}~{}~{}~{}~

"So, he's always like this...?" I mused, idly poking Natsu's cheek. The pink-haired boy was splayed out in agony on the seat beside me, groaning. His face was a sickly shade of green.

"Yeah, he really can't handle any form of transport," Lucy laughed. "He'll be fine as soon as we stop though, don't worry."

"As long as he doesn't puke on me," I grumbled, ready to throw his carcass across to the others if he showed any signs of doing so. She sweatdropped at my sheer lack of concerning.

"So, Mirai," she continued, making small talk to pass the time. "We don't really know much about you. Where are you from?"

I paused at the sudden topic change and at the fact that both Erza and Gray suddenly tuned into the conversation.

"No clue," I said simply.

Lucy hesitated. "Y-You don't know?"

"What, do you have amnesia or something?" Gray butted in. Wow, way to be frank.

"Something like that," I answered vaguely, casting a glance out the window and silently wishing the train would move just a little bit faster.

"So you don't remember anything?" Lucy pressed. "What about your master that you mentioned?"

 _She remembered that?_

"My master, uh, found me on the streets one day and took me in," I explained, beyond uncomfortable. "What about you guys? Where are you all from?"

There was a pause before they all simultaneously avoided eye contact.

"Th-That's not important," Lucy stammered.

"Y-Yeah." Erza nodded stiffly and Gray... started to pull his shirt off.

I sighed and glanced out the window as Lucy snapped at him, cheeks red in embarrassment. I was just grateful that he'd managed to completely divert all the attention away from me.

 _I'm such a liar._

~{}~{}~{}~{}~{}~

"You should really just talk to him," I chirped, startling Juvia once again.

Everyone had been enjoying the resort hotel to it's fullest, even me, but I kept noticed the familiar blue-haired girl peeking at us from behind various objects.

"Juvia cannot!" She exclaimed, her cheeks going bright pink. "Surely Gray-sama would not like Juvia after what Juvia did in our first meeting."

"Actually, I don't think he'd mind too much," I countered, thinking on it. "He's pretty chill, no pun intended. And you seem pretty sorry about it so he'll probably forgive you."

Juvia trembled nervously and I rolled my eyes. "You don't have to but you can't just stalk him for the rest of your life."

"Juvia can't?" She frowned thoughtfully. I sighed. _Oh boy..._

"Well, do what you like. Not like it's any of my business," I remarked, walking away with a quick wave.

~{}~{}~{}~{}~{}~

"Why is Lucy being chased around by some angry buff guy?" I wondered, watching as the poor girl ran for her life.

Nearby, Natsu hugged a watermelon and laughed even harder. Gray was snickering too and it wasn't too hard to piece the situation together.

I sighed and grabbed her arm just as she ran past, pulling her off to the side and letting my magic envelope her just briefly. We observed as the angry guy slowly came to a halt and scratched his head curiously.

"What was I doing again...?" He wondered, having completely forgotten. After a moment of consideration, he shrugged and returned to his towel while Lucy tearfully threw her arms around me in gratitude.

"Mirai, you're my hero...!" She blubbered.

She seemed to get over it pretty quickly though when she caught sight of a certain laughing idiot.

"Natsu!" She howled, reaching for his neck as though to strangle him. "I'll kill you!"

The boy in question laughed a bit more before recognising the danger and making a run for it and I blinked. Gray laughed even harder at the sight. I cracked an amused smile.

Erza broke it up soon enough, tossing a beach ball up and down in her hand with a confident smile. "Anyone up for some beach volleyball?"

"I'm on Erza's team!" Lucy yelled immediately, jogging over to the redhead.

"No fair!" Natsu and Gray yelled at the same time.

"Don't we have uneven numbers?" I wondered, counting the five of us. "Should I referee?"

"No way," Natsu protested desperately. "They get Erza so you should be on our team."

I squinted at him suspiciously. "Are you planning on using me as a shield...?"

His suddenly innocent expression confirmed it easily and both him and Gray despaired as I started walking towards the girls' side in retaliation.

I eventually relented after ten minutes of rather desperate begging from the boys and an attempt by Natsu to bribe me.

"Don't be going easy on us now," Erza smirked, getting ready to serve the ball. I paused and realised I've never actually played beach volleyball before.

"We just hit the ball back, right?" I checked at the last minute, watching her movements closely and missing the way the two boys paled. Neither of my teammates had the chance to answer anyway before Erza sent the ball hurtling right at us.

"So fast!" The boys exclaimed, hugging each other in fear.

I darted in front of them and jumped, batting the ball away with a loud slap, sending it flying back over the net just as fast as it'd come.

Lucy yelped and dove for it, missing completely. The ball had already hit the ground and rocketed past her before she could blink.

I landed lightly and shook my hand. _Man, slapping it kind of hurts... maybe I'll try the base of my palm instead next time...?_

Erza took this as a challenge and cracked her knuckles. I glanced to the boys questioningly to see whether I'd done it right.

Everyone but Erza and I gulped at the quick exchange. ' _Th-They're monsters...!_ '

Erza got a new ball, readying herself for another serve and I grinned in anticipation as the others threw themselves to the ground for safety.

 _Beach volleyball seems fun!_

~{}~{}~{}~{}~{}~

 **Ta-da! Ok, so not the most exciting chapter in the world, but it had some nice fluffle moments and quality bonding time? Yeah, I kind of skipped over the Loke and Celestial Spirit King arc a bit, but it made no sense to me to involve Mirai considering she really only just joined and wouldn't really have much motivation nor the means to get involved. But she will not miss out on the upcoming drama, oh no. She will be getting far more involved with the main cast soon enough.**

 **Anyway, pretty please, review! Let me know what you think! I always accept criticism and feedback and advice, etcetera, and reviews make me super happy. I can bribe you with a new chapter...?**

 **Ok, until next time!**

 **\- Dragon**


	3. Today Started So Well

**... So... it's been a year...**

 **My bad?**

 **Seriously, my bad. Life really slapped me around for a while there (between uni and family drama and work and a surgery pushed somewhere in the middle of it all, it's a miracle I'm still here) but I also kind of forgot about this story for a while too. But hey, for the readers who are amazing enough to forgive my sudden prolonged hiatus and return for the third chapter, I love you all and I sincerely apologise.**

 **Anyway, we're getting into the Tower of Heaven arc now. It was actually pretty difficult to get back into this story and remember exactly what I was planning for future chapters (my notes are so messy, guys, it's actually kind of worrying) as well as getting to know my OC again. Haha, I have regrets.**

 **Also, very quick warning, Mirai does swear in this fic. She's been very good until now but really, it's a miracle she made it this far.**

 **Ok, I've made you wait long enough. I'll let you get to the story then.**

~{}~{}~{}~{}~{}~

"So, uh, what exactly is the point of tanning again?" I asked awkwardly, feeling rather like a sweaty steak in a frying pan.

Our volleyball game had ended a while ago when the others decided that Erza and I were getting a little too competitive and that it was in their best interests to end the match before someone got their head knocked clean off their shoulders.

Also, Erza hit the ball a little too low at one point, tearing a huge hole in the net, and I responded in kind with a hit that came a little too close to Lucy's head for comfort.

Natsu was, uh, 'all fired up' at that point but Happy had instantly sprouted wings and fled after that, Gray had this horrified expression while muttering something about a second Erza and Lucy quickly called it a tie.

Instead, the blonde had promptly insisted that getting a nice tan was an essential part of vacationing near a beach and proceeded to slather me in some sort of oil before telling me to spread out on a beach chair and relax.

"It's a sign of affluence and class used to indicate wealthy individuals by implicating their extensive availability in terms of leisure time, often spent on vacation in warmer climates," Erza stated, stretching out on the chair to my left. My confusion was obvious and on my right, Lucy shot us both a peculiar look.

"It's fun and looks nice," she added.

"Right," I said awkwardly, sitting back in the chair and idly observing the boys. They'd raced off earlier, both exclaiming how they could build a better sand castle than the other, but now it seemed their competition had devolved into a wrestling match.

I squinted. It also seemed like they were now trying rather unsuccessfully to bury each other in the sand. _Weirdos._

Still, it looked a lot more fun than tanning.

"So..." I began. "How long does this take exactly...?"

There was an sigh from Lucy's direction.

"If you'd prefer, you can go join the boys instead?" Erza offered with a small smile.

A brief glance showed that the boys' fight had moved to the water and Natsu was now trying to drown Gray by sitting on his head while Juvia seethed from behind a nearby palm tree.

"Nah, I'm good."

~{}~{}~{}~{}~{}~

Despite the eccentricities of my new fellow guild members, it was actually a pretty relaxing day, one that made me wish I'd tried this whole holiday thing a lot sooner.

"I never knew how nice vacations could be," I sighed contently as we retired to our rooms for the night. We were originally going to have separate rooms ( _Natsu and Gray still do since we seriously can't trust those two to room together without a decent chance of property damage and/or potential maiming_ ) but then Erza suggested that we girls could share a room and then Lucy got excited at the idea of a girl's sleepover so we got the biggest room that our vouchers allowed.

This turned out to be a sweet three-person room with two single beds, a pull-out sofa, a kitchenette and a balcony with a great view. It was officially the nicest accommodation I'd ever had, no exaggeration.

"I still can't believe you've never had a vacation before," Lucy remarked, ditching her suitcase near the door and out of the way while she flopped onto the closest bed. Erza had claimed the only other bed while I resigned to take the pull-out sofa. It was still comfier than a sleeping bag in a forest so I didn't really mind.

"You should really remember to set time aside for relaxing, it's not healthy to train all the time," Erza scolded.

"I do have breaks and days off every now and then," I protested, "I just never really had the time or the money for a real vacation. Plus, my master is kind of a slave driver."

"Well," Lucy grinned at me, "we're just gonna have to make sure you have the best time on this trip then. Is there anything in particular you want to do?"

I paused to think. "Well, one of the things you're supposed to do when your travel is try the cuisine, right? Maybe we could go to a nice restaurant for dinner?"

"Deal!" Lucy exclaimed cheerily.

"I think that'd be nice," Erza smiled fondly.

"Not tonight though," I continued, splaying lazily across the couch. "I'm beat."

"Me too. That volleyball game was pretty fun though, you were definitely a worthy volleyball opponent. We should play again some time," Erza agreed, taking a moment to re-quip into a more casual outfit. I was struck with envy. _Man, I wanna be able to change my clothes in a flash like that..._

"Ah, I don't know," I said, "my hand still kind of hurts from going up against you. Maybe next time we should be on the same team?"

"No!" Lucy suddenly panicked at my suggestion. I jumped at the unexpected reaction and she quickly backtracked. "I-I mean, let's not do that. You can't leave me with Natsu and Gray, they're crazy."

"Isn't that what you did to me today?" I said suspiciously, peering curiously at her. She gulped, neglecting to reply and instead pulling out a magazine to flip through as she fervently avoided my gaze.

"Anyway, maybe instead of volleyball, you can have a friendly spar with me sometime?" I directed my attention to Erza who seemed pleasantly surprised at the suggestion. "I got a glimpse of your skill back when we were fighting Jose and I kind of want to see how good you are."

"Good idea," Erza nodded thoughtfully. "You said you were aiming for the guild's S-Class exam, yes? I also want to see your skills for myself. Maybe when we return from our vacation?"

"I look forward to it," I replied.

Lucy glanced between us and murmured something about how Fairy Tail mages are all kind of scary, burying her nose back into her magazine.

The room fell into a comfortable quiet after that. I passed the time with some novels I brought and Lucy produced a whole stack of magazines from her luggage that she was slowly making her way through while Erza wandered out to the balcony to enjoy the view.

~{}~{}~{}~{}~{}~

About an hour after we'd settled, Lucy started unpacking some of her things, including a wide variety of skin care products and make-up that she proceeded to decorate the bathroom with. It was about this point that she realised that our room lacked towels. I offered the idea that we could use our beach towels, an idea that was quickly shot down.

"I'm gonna go hunt some down," she announced, heading out on her self-proclaimed mission.

"Grab an extra pillow and a blanket or something while you're at it?" I called after her. The couch cushions were kind of small and the days may be warm here but the nights could get cold.

She didn't reply and I was left alone to wonder if she'd actually heard me or not.

Ten minutes passed, then another twenty. Around the forty minute mark, I started to worry she'd gotten lost or something (I've been a part of Fairy Tail for less than a month but I really wouldn't put it past them to get kidnapped while looking for some towels).

 _I should probably go look for her..._

I slowly glanced down at my legs, comfortably draped over the arm of the sofa, and was struck with the sudden urge to never move again.

 _Meh, I'll give her another ten minutes or so._

At fourteen minutes, Erza wandered in from the balcony, donning her usual armoured outfit. At sixteen minutes, Lucy burst through the door, all excited and energetic. I felt tired just looking at her.

"Erza! Mirai! They have a casino in the basement, do you guys wanna try it out?" She exclaimed. I missed Erza's reply as I glanced back to my not-moving legs.

 _That sounds like it involves movement. And effort._

 _And movement._

"What about you, Mirai?" Lucy turned that million-watt smile on me and I winced. "It's a vacation after all, let's go have fun!"

A casino didn't really sound like my sort of fun but I found myself agreeing anyway, twisting around until I was upright again.

I wearily side-eyed the fancy gown Erza was suddenly wearing as I stood up. "I don't have to buy a dress, do I?"

"You don't have a...?" Lucy began but trailed off as she observed my outfit consisting of a worn pair of jean shorts, a battered light grey hoodie and black lace-up combat boots alongside my ever-present belt with the sheathe holding my chokutō resting on my hips and my brown satchel carrying my orb. The same kind of outfit I'd been wearing every day since I met her. "Never mind. No, casual's fine too."

 _Wow, I feel judged._

Still, I didn't care enough to actually go get changed so I just moodily flipped my hood up, stuck my hands in my pockets and sulked the entire way to the casino while Lucy chattered about how we should have a shopping day at some point during our holiday.

As we neared the entrance though, a flash of blue caught my eye and I smirked.

"Ah, I forgot something," I stated suddenly, stopping in my tracks. The girls paused and turned to me in confusion but I waved them on ahead, saying I'd catch up in a minute.

Lucy was a little more reluctant to leave me behind but Erza pulled her into the casino, telling me over her shoulder to hurry and join them soon. I waved idly until they'd disappeared and then drifted in the direction of a certain blue-haired stalker pacing nervously behind a leafy potted plant nearby.

"Hello Gray-sama, Juvia has come to ask you... no, no, no..." She was muttering to herself as she wandered back and forth, evidently distracted from noticing my arrival. "Ah, good evening Gray-sama, what a wonderful coincidence to... no, I can't lie to my love..."

I opened my mouth to announce my presence, hesitated then closed it again, wanting to see how long it would take her to notice me.

"Greetings Gray-sama, you look quite handso-" she cut herself off with a blush and a girlish fangirl squeal. "Oh Juvia can't say that, it's too embarrassing!"

 _Yeah, she's never going to notice me at this rate._

"How about 'hi Gray, how are you?'" I suggested blandly.

"Oh no," Juvia flushed. "To refer to Gray-sama in such a manner, it's so bold, Juvia can't..."

She jolted and spun towards me in shock. "Oh, Juvia's female friend! Many apologies, Juvia was just practicing what she might say when Juvia reunites with Gray-sama!"

"Yeah, I figured," I replied dryly. "I also think you're trying too hard so here, let me help you."

"What do you- Eek!" She yelped as I took a hold of her wrist and proceeded to drag her into the casino. I had to pause for a moment to locate Gray inside but once I pinned him down at the one of the slot machines, I resumed my mission.

"Wait, no, Juvia isn't ready, Juvia doesn't know what to say," she shrieked, drawing a whole lot of attention from everyone we passed. Sure, the attention made me incredibly uncomfortably but on the other hand, I was in too deep. I'd been tolerating her creepy stalking around the guild for weeks now and I couldn't do it anymore. Some irrational part of me figured that, hey, maybe if she just talked to the guy, the terrifying lurking and talking to herself might just end.

Seriously though, it was super hard to ignore once you'd noticed it.

She quickly shut up as we approached the target, probably because she didn't want to draw his attention towards us. It was interesting to see her shift from panicked to resigned to awe to excited before finally settling on nervous as we pulled to a stop behind him.

"Hey, Gray," I called out, moving my firm grip from her wrist to her shoulder and plastering on an amiable expression. Gray turned towards us with that scowl I always see him wearing and then blanched at the sight of the former Phantom Lord combatant at my side.

I tightened my hold on her as she tensed, just in case she made a run for it, but a single glance in her direction showed that it was unnecessary. Between her bashfully shy expression and my relaxed body language, he seemed to gather that there wasn't any immediate threat but still appeared kind of on edge.

I smiled purposefully. "Come have a drink with us."

~{}~{}~{}~{}~{}~

While my proposition was met with reluctance on his part, I'd managed to herd the two mages over to the bar before Gray finally asked, "isn't that...?"

"The weird rain chick from that crazy evil guild that we beat up which recently disbanded?" I offered. "Yep."

"So what's she doing here?"

"She's right there. Ask her yourself."

Gray cast a scrutinising look at his admirer. Juvia apparently decided this was a great time to proudly puff out her chest, trying to draw attention to her ridiculously shiny necklace with Fairy Tail's guild symbol. I resisted the urge to bury my face in my hands, instead letting out a slow sigh.

"Don't tell me she wants to join Fairy Tail?" Gray caught on quickly. How could he not with that thing glaring in your face?

"Yeah, she's been hanging out at the new guild hall lately," I told him, taking a seat on his left at the bar while Juvia happily sat on his other side.

I snorted at his incredulous look. "Relax, she's cool. Weird but harmless and definitely not weirder than most of the Fairy Tail members I've already met."

"Yes, Juvia has been observing the mages of Fairy Tail so she will be able to fit in one day," the water mage chimed in eagerly. "Juvia has even made friends with..."

She abruptly cut herself off and I peered at her curiously.

"Juvia made friends with... uh... M... Maya...?" She stammered nervously.

 _Ah, she forgot._

 _Wait..._ I paused and mentally shuffled back through all our previous encounters. _Did I ever tell her my name? She got the first letter right so she must've known it at some point but I'm pretty sure I never actually introduced myself._

 _Did she... stalk me too...?_

I shook my head and discarded the potentially disturbing idea. She probably just heard it around the guild or witnessed one of my many re-introductions to guild members who'd forgotten me.

"You forgot my name, didn't you?" I checked, peeking around Gray's back. She flushed and quickly dropped into an apologetic bow.

"Juvia is so sorry! Juvia usually never forgets these things!"

"It's cool, happens all the time," I responded nonchalantly. "It's Mirai, by the way."

She nodded, looking scarily determined all of a sudden. "Juvia will remember from now on, Juvia promises."

"Ok."

"Juvia will not forget again."

"It's really not a big deal."

"Juvia begs your forgiveness."

"I'm pretty sure I already forgave you."

"Juvia feels very bad about this."

"Seriously, stop."

As Juvia tried to properly convey her sincerity while I tried to convey just much I didn't care, Gray tried to take advantage of the distraction to subtly sneak away. Instantly, my hand shot out, firmly grasping the fabric of his shirt ( _thank god he's still wearing one_ ) and yanking him back into his seat.

" _Anyway_ ," I said firmly, "Juvia here is nervous about joining the guild. You should be her friend so she feels better."

"Why me?" He grouched, a little unsettled at my blunt delivery.

"You're the one who actually fought her in the end," I reminded him. "If you become her friend, it'll help show the others that she's not that bad. Well, you and maybe Lucy but I'll track her down later."

Gray considered this and then shrugged. "I mean, I don't mind but I don't know what the master'll say about it."

Behind him, Juvia seemed ecstatic that Gray-sama had approved of her joining the guild.

I frowned thoughtfully. "He didn't seem like the sort to say no?"

However, Gray's reply was cut off when a huge hand swept in out of nowhere and smacked Juvia aside, throwing her clear off her stool and crashing to the ground.

"Ju-!" My eyes snapped to her direction in shock but the surprise made me slow to react as something wrapped around my head and slammed my skull straight into the top of the bar.

There was a spike of pain and suddenly I was on the floor, softly groaning as the pain faded to a harsh ache.

 _Fuck, that hurt._

While Gray had a nice but brief chat with whoever the hell just did that, I took a second to recuperate. This mostly consisted of trying to blink away the black spots appearing in my vision and rubbing at my temple because, _oh, it's throbbing, my brain is throbbing._

 _Well, on the bright side, I don't think I have a concussion. And that means I'm fine to get back up and cut the bastard who did that._

Juvia had rejoined us at some point but I brushed right past her on my way to dole out some vengeance, my chokutō already half drawn. The guy was huge but even giants bleed, right?

I'd barely made it three steps though when the lights went dark, plunging us all into shadows. Immediately, I crouched low, expecting an attack and letting my chokutō slide back into it's sheathe. I couldn't go swinging it around blindly, not with Gray and Juvia nearby and unaware of my movements. I didn't want to accidentally hit them with a sharp blade if they decided to move.

Instead, I closed my eyes and cast my senses out. At the same time, a random flash of magic blanketed the area, causing me to narrow in on the source on the other side of the room.

That's not who I was looking for anyway. I returned my attention to our attacker, softly radiating magic as he moved towards us. _So he's the one causing the blackout._

I felt for my satchel, deciding that my magic was probably my best bet right now but before I could flip it open, I hesitated at the burst of magic from Gray behind me. Was he moving? I've only known the guy for so long, I couldn't predict what he might do or how he might go about the situation. He probably couldn't tell me either since that would involve letting the enemy hear his plan.

 _Urgh, this is why I prefer solo missions. And what exactly happened to a nice, relaxing vacation?_

His magic was quickly followed by Juvia flaring her own. Then, rather abruptly, the world shifted and a coldness enveloped me until I could no longer breathe.

 _This sucks._

~{}~{}~{}~{}~{}~

 _"What was that, brat? You don't think learning how to hold your breath could be useful in a real fight? Pfft, brat, what do you know of a real fight? Do you plan all your future fights out? Do you know where you'll be expected to defend yourself in the future or what kind of people you'll face?"_

There were a lot of times when I hated how right my master always was.

 _"I once fought a mage whose magic could pull the oxygen from your lungs, not to mention countless different types of water mages. Some magics even take the form of gases with various effects. I'm not sending my apprentice into the world with such a stupid-ass weakness. Go again."_

She was definitely right about a lot of things though. It was thanks to her weird training that I kept my calm as I moved around in the space I found myself in, searching for an exit or something. Most people pass out around the two minute mark, if I remember correctly ( _which I always do_ ), especially if they didn't even get to take a deep breath before being plunged into some sort of container filled with water. _Did the casino even have a pond...? Where the hell am I?_

Mulling over the events leading up to this moment, I figured that, given Juvia's magic was the last thing I sensed and she's the water mage here, the blue-haired mage probably did something to help protect us from the invisible threat and would probably let me out as soon as possible before I suffocated. So hopefully, I wasn't in any danger. Hopefully.

 _God, I hope I'm right. Death by drowning is definitely not how I want to go. It doesn't even make top ten._

 _And to think, today started so well..._

I counted five minute and 37 seconds until there was a sort of rush as my surroundings pushed without warning and I was released from... wherever I was. Instantly, I gasped for air as I flopped on the ground, my arm pinned to the floor by something heavy, and coughed up some water. A mental note to never take breathing for granted ever again was made because, yeah, I could hold my breath for a while but that didn't mean it was fun. I let my head roll to the side to see Gray quickly lifting himself off of my arm, seemingly just as out of breath.

I took a moment to check my satchel again too, satisfied that my orb was intact. Seriously, with the amount of crazy situations I've gotten into just since joining this guild, it's gonna break one day.

 _Maybe I should get a back-up...?_

"Not inside you! Inside Juvia," someone was saying nearby ( _presumably Juvia_ ). I paled as I started piecing the situation together.

Gray explained how he made a decoy of himself when the lights went out and Juvia exclaimed, "And Juvia put Gray and Mirai in a water lock to be sure the enemy didn't find out!"

"W-Wait," I choked out. "Was I... _inside_...?"

Lucy sent me a sympathetic look as I shuddered and shot an irritated look in the water mage's direction. She didn't seem to notice though as Gray scolded her for letting their attackers get away, her face blanching in shock that she'd messed up her precious crush's plan.

I recovered quickly, pushing this memory to the back of my head and briefly lamenting that erasing my own memories was one of the techniques I'd never figured out how to do. Still, we had bigger issues right now.

"Wait," Lucy pondered, "if Gray only made a decoy of himself, then why didn't they realise Mirai disappeared?"

I snorted and climbed to my feet, squeezing as much water as I could from my clothes. Juvia quickly offered to help, using her magic to pull most of the water from the fabric until I was relatively dryer. "They probably forgot."

Understanding dawned on Lucy's face and I shrugged. "My magic is inconvenient but it does have its perks from time to time." A cursory glance told me that the casino was now utterly devoid of people. "So what happened to everyone? Where's Erza and Natsu? And that weird, talking cat?"

Lucy's face fell but before she could respond, part of my question was answered pretty quickly when a huge freakin' column of fire spontaneously erupted nearby accompanied with a familiar shout. "It hurts!"

"Ah," I deadpanned as Lucy called out Natsu's name. "There's one."

The crazy mage howled in pain, landing on the roof of the empty bar and feeling inside his own mouth.

"Bwaah! Usually my mouth can take a lead bullet with no problem, but this really hurts," he complained, unsuccessfully trying to pull his jaw out far enough to see the damage. "If the gun's angle was a little different, I could have been wounded!"

 _I'm sorry, what?_

"If you were anything near a normal human, you would have been completely out of the game," Lucy said, managing to look both exasperated and relieved at the same time.

 _Back up, did he say he got shot in the mouth?_

"Uh, I think I missed something," I called, waving my hand to get their attention. "Natsu's not human? What?"

They all paused and looked at me strangely.

"Uh, Mirai?" Lucy checked. I glanced at her curiously. "Do you know what kind of magic Natsu uses?"

I blinked slowly, scratching the back of my head as I thought about it. "I'm guessing 'fire' isn't the right answer then? I dunno, no one's mentioned it."

"The idiot uses Dragon Slayer magic," Gray helpfully supplied. "He's weird."

I openly stared. "Wait, Natsu... kills dragons?"

Were we talking about the same pink-haired moron here?

I once saw him try to use a magnifying glass and sunlight to light a table on fire because he was hungry, Mirajane was on her break and I had no idea what 'fire pasta' was. _This guy_ kills dragons?

 _Actually, that does help explain the whole 'eats fire' thing. Kind of._

"No way! My dad's a dragon and he's the coolest, no one could kill him!" Natsu exploded at the merely insinuation of killing dragons and I had to wonder if he'd ever thought about the title of his magic. Then I had to wonder what exactly he meant by 'my dad's a dragon' because call me crazy but I don't think that's how genetics work.

He was quickly distracted anyway once Gray's words registered in his head, prompting another argument between the two, and I tucked those thoughts away in the 'million and one questions about Fairy Tail that I'm never actually going to ask because I'm honestly kind of scared to know the answer anyway' list. I'd never actually tallied how many bizarre inquiries I'd thought of since meeting the members of this guild but I'm pretty sure it's reached the thousands.

A thought suddenly sprang to the front of my mind from my first day in the guild. "Wait, was that guy from Phantom Lord a dragon slayer too? What's his name, uh, Gary? Garrot?"

"Gajeel?" Juvia offered. I snapped my fingers and pointed at her affirmatively.

"Yeah, actually, how'd you guess?" Lucy nodded in surprise.

"His magic kind of felt similar to Natsu's," I said, remembering how I noted the strange similarity at the time but thought nothing of it at the time.

That prompted another pause loaded with more strange looks in my direction. _Yeah, probably shouldn't gave said that._

"You can sense magic?" Gray questioned gruffly. The way he and Natsu had paused, they both had their fists gripping a handful of the other's shirt, obviously ready for another fight. I bit my lip at the incredulous gazes directed at me.

"Uh, yeah. My master said it was uncommon but I didn't realise it was that weird," I replied uncertainly.

"We really need to fix your idea of normal," Lucy sighed. Then she clarified unnecessarily, "no, it's not normal."

"Noted," I said with a small nod, eager to move the attention away from me.

Luckily, Natsu was a pro at being the centre of attention because he suddenly jolted and yelled, "Ah! Droopy Eyes distracted me!"

I caught Lucy's gaze, pointed at Gray and silently mouthed 'droopy eyes?' She smiled awkwardly and nodded.

"I'm not gonna let that boxy creep get away with this!" He yelled, dashing for the exit and running down everything in his way.

"He's like a freakin' dog," Gray grumbled, taking off after him. "Come on, Natsu's nose is sharper than any animals, he can lead us to whoever attacked us."

I groaned in exasperation and grabbed Lucy's wrist, pulling her along for the ride as we hurtled after the two boys.

 _This whole 'helping people' thing that I have going on is really proving to be more trouble than it's worth._

~{}~{}~{}~{}~{}~

"So he can both eat and breathe fire," I clarified slowly, "and was raised by a dragon?"

"Yes."

"But he's defeated by a dinghy," I continued, distastefully eying the shade of green that Natsu had become as he hung bonelessly over the side of our boat.

Lucy sat near him in order to make sure he didn't accidentally fall overboard as well as acting as the receiver and translator for his mumbled directions as to where his nose was leading us. The rest of the boat's occupants, myself included, had quickly migrated and spread out along the other side of the boat to make sure that all his moping didn't tip the whole thing over and send us all into the water.

The blonde smiled awkwardly and nodded, unable to deny my claim.

I scoffed and looked to the sky. _I can't believe I called this guy 'capable' a few weeks ago._ "Fairy Tail is so weird..."

"No, just the Flame Freak, the rest of us are fine," Gray huffed.

I arched an eyebrow in his direction. "Says the guy who hurled his shirt into the ocean ten minutes ago."

The ice mage gaped at his own bare chest, noticing for the first time that he was indeed lacking his shirt. "Shit! When did that happen?!"

Juvia's hand instantly shot into the air as she moved to jump over the side of the boat. "Juvia can go get it for Gray-sama!"

"Stay!" I quickly commanded, shoving a finger towards her seat. Juvia froze and obediently sat back down. "There's no point, he'll just take it off again later on."

Gray scowled at my comment but didn't deny it.

Natsu suddenly twitched and I shuffled in the opposite direction, rocking the boat slightly in my attempt to create some distance in case he was finally gonna hurl. Instead, he waved weakly somewhere off to our left and groaned.

We all looked at Lucy, who sighed and asked him to repeat himself. A few more groans surfaced alongside another wave in vaguely the same direction.

"I think he's saying we've shifted off course a bit," Lucy interpreted hesitantly. "We need to turn a bit to the left."

Juvia nodded and flicked her hand, forming a new current that moved us back on track. Natsu lurched at the motion. "Is that satisfactory?"

The 'Dragon Slayer' raised a trembling thumbs up and then proceeded to puke his guts out into the sea.

I shrank back down into the bottom of the boat until I couldn't see that calamity unfurling and pinched the bridge of my nose in exasperation, wondering if perhaps I should have just passed on the casino. I could have been relaxing in our nice hotel room right now, maybe enjoying the balcony view and ordering room service. Sure, I wouldn't know what was happening but maybe that could've been for the best.

Sadly, I peered out across the waves and silently contemplated the pros and cons of throwing myself into the ocean while they were distracted.

~{}~{}~{}~{}~{}~

 **Sometimes I wonder if this fic should actually be called 'A Million Ways to Give Mirai a Headache', whether it be casually slamming her head into bars or nonchalantly implying that a dragon procreated to make a part-human, part-firecracker baby. Really, if you read any of my fics, it's just me laughing maniacally at my characters' pain.**

 **So I tried to make this a nice long update for those who have been waiting ages, I think I got a little over 5000 words for this one last I checked. Originally, I ended it after the casino scenes but I figured you deserved extra. I hope you enjoyed it at least a little, especially since I had to explain to my sister why she caught me googling how bear and snake meat tastes. The things I do for writing...**

 **Anyway, we've got some nice quality bonding time with Lucy and Erza but mostly Lucy and you learn a little more about Mirai and her past. Yeah, like most Fairy Tail members, she hasn't led the nicest life but that'll probably get better, right? Also, you're probably going to see some actual changes in regards to the canon storyline soonish, maybe next chapter, we shall see. Honestly, there aren't going to be any super drastic changes for a little while but trust me, canon is going to be somewhat destroyed by the time I'm done with it. But until we get there, I'm really just trying hard to avoid rewriting the canon scenes by adding in my own original scenes. Mostly nice fluffle bonding or slightly humorous situations with Mirai meeting and interacting with her new fellow guild members. God, I hope I'm portraying everyone properly. You may have to excuse some OOC from time to time, I'm still learning. If you have any issues with how any of the characters are portrayed, feel free to message me or leave a scathing review and I shall correct what I can.**

 **I'm already writing the next chapter, so those of you who are worrying (if any of you are), it's cool. You will not have to wait a year for the next update. Maybe a week or two, we'll see. Side note, what do people think of me adding another OC in the somewhat far future? I know some people don't like it when there are too many OCs so I thought I might ask to get a feel for my audience (well, those of you who actually read these rambles of mine). I'll probs include my new OC anyway but hey, it's good to know these things moving forward.**

 **If you like it, please review! If you don't like it, please still review! I will take anything at this point...**

 **Until next time,**

 **\- Dragon**


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